Special Educational Needs Policy

1. Definition and aims
2. Roles and responsibilities
3. Co-ordinating and managing provision
4. Admissions arrangements
5. Specialisms and special facilities

B.  IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND PROVISION

1. Allocation of resources
2. Identification, assessment and review
3. Curriculum access and inclusion
4. Evaluating success
5. Arrangements for complaints

C.  PARTNERSHIP WITHIN AND BEYOND THE SCHOOL

1. Partnership with parents
2. The voice of the child
3. Links with other agencies, organisations and support services
4. Links with other schools and transfer arrangements
5. Staff development and performance management

A. School Arrangements

A1 Definition and aims

Definition

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools. (SEN Code of Practice 0-25 years 2014)

Aims

All staff at John Hampden and Tetsworth Federation of Schools believe that each pupil has individual and unique needs. However, some pupils require more support than others.  If these pupils are to achieve their full potential, we must recognise this and plan accordingly.  We acknowledge that a significant proportion of pupils will have special educational needs at some time in their school career.  Many of these pupils may require help throughout their time in school, whilst others may need a little extra support for a short period to help overcome more temporary needs. John Hampden and Tetsworth Federation of Schools aims to provide all pupils with strategies for dealing with their needs in a supportive environment, and to give them meaningful access to the National Curriculum. In particular, we aim:

• to enable every pupil to experience success
• to promote individual confidence and a positive attitude
• to ensure that all pupils, whatever their special educational needs, receive appropriate educational provision through a broad and balanced curriculum that is relevant and differentiated, and that demonstrates coherence and progression in learning
• to give pupils with SEN equal opportunities to take part in all aspects of the school’s provision, as far as is appropriate
• to identify, assess, record, and regularly review pupils’ progress and needs
• to involve parents/carers and children in planning and supporting at all stages of the pupil’s development
• to work collaboratively with parents, other professionals and support services including the Educational Psychology Service
• to ensure that the responsibility held by all staff and governors for SEN is implemented and maintained.

A. 2 Roles and Responsibilities

Provision for pupils with SEN is a matter for the school as a whole.  It is each teacher’s responsibility to provide for pupils with SEN in his/her class, and to be aware that these needs may be present in different learning situations.  All staff are responsible for helping to meet an individual’s special educational needs, and for following the school’s procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision to meet these needs.

The governing body in co-operation with the headteacher, has a legal responsibility for determining the policy and provision for pupils with special educational needs – it maintains a general overview and has appointed a representative (the SEN governor), who takes particular interest in this aspect of the school.

Governors must ensure that:

• the necessary provision is made for any pupil with SEN
• all staff are aware of the need to identify and provide for pupils with SEN
• pupils with SEN join in school activities alongside other pupils, so far as is reasonably practical and compatible with their needs and the efficient education of other pupils
• they have regard to the requirements of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs (2014)
• parents are notified if the school decides to make SEN provision for their pupil
• they are fully informed about SEN issues, so that they can play a major part in school self-review
• they set up appropriate staffing and funding arrangements, and oversee the school’s work for pupils with SEN.

Governors play a major part in school self-review.  In relation to SEN, members of the governing body will ensure that:

• they are involved in the development and monitoring of the school’s SEN policy, and that the school as a whole will also be involved in its development
• SEN provision is an integral part of the School Development Plan
• the quality of SEN provision is regularly monitored through visits to school and discussions with staff

The headteacher has responsibility for:

• the management of all aspects of the school’s work, including provision for pupils with special educational needs
• keeping the governing body informed about SEN issues
• working closely with the special educational needs co-ordinator
• the deployment of all special educational needs personnel within the school

The headteacher also has overall responsibility for monitoring and reporting to the governors about the implementation of the schools’ SEN policy and the effects of inclusion policies on the school as a whole.

The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) is responsible for:

• overseeing the operation of the school’s SEN policy working closely with the headteacher
• co-ordinating the provision for pupils with special educational needs
• ensuring that an agreed, consistent approach is adopted
• liaising with and advising other school staff
• helping staff to identify pupils with special educational needs
• carrying out detailed assessments and observations of pupils with specific learning problems
• supporting class teachers in setting targets and in devising appropriate strategies to be recorded in Pupil Profiles, advising on appropriate resources and materials for use with pupils with special educational needs and on the effective use of materials and personnel in the classroom
• liaising closely with parents of pupils with SEN, so that they are aware of the strategies that are being used and are involved as partners in the process
• liaising with outside agencies, arranging meetings, and providing a link between these agencies, class teachers and parents
• maintaining the school’s SEN register and SEN records
• assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of progress of pupils with SEN through the use of existing school assessment information, e.g. class-based assessments/records, end of year test, subject specific tests such as NARA, BPVS, QCA behaviour etc
• contributing to the in-service training of staff
• managing TAs in conjunction with the headteacher
• liaising with the SENCos in receiving schools and/or other primary schools to help provide a smooth transition from one school to the other
• taking part in County SENCo meetings and following the LEA’s guidance document SEN Support in Oxfordshire Schools and Settings.

Class teachers are responsible for:

• devising and reviewing Pupil Profiles/ for pupils in their class, inclusion of pupils with SEN in the classroom, and for providing an appropriately differentiated curriculum. They can draw on the SENCo for advice on assessment and strategies to support inclusion
• making themselves aware of the school’s SEN Policy and procedures for identification, monitoring and supporting pupils with SEN
• giving feedback to parents of pupils with SEN.

TAs work as part of a team with the SENCo and the teachers, supporting pupils’ individual needs, and helping with inclusion of pupils with SEN within the class.  They play an important role in implementing Pupil Profiles and monitoring progress.  They contribute to review meetings and help pupils with SEN to gain access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

TAs should:

• be fully aware of the school’s SEN policy and the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN
• use the school’s procedures for giving feedback to teachers about pupils’ responses to tasks and strategies.

Lunchtime supervisors (TAs) are given any necessary information relating to the supervision of pupils at lunchtime.  They may meet the SENCo in relation to behaviour management and other issues for particular pupils.

A3. Co-ordinating and Managing Provision

At John Hampden and Tetsworth Federation of Schools:

• sharing of expertise is welcomed and encouraged
• Special educational needs is a part of the school development plan
• SEN is a regular item on the agenda of formal staff meetings
• the SENCo ensures that regular meetings are held, normally once a term, to review Pupil Profiles and provision, and that parents are invited
• there is daily informal contact between all staff to monitor individual pupils and to discuss concerns
• pupils are involved as far as practicable in discussions about their targets and provision

The SENCo ensures that the following information is easily accessible to staff:

• the school’s SEN policy
• the SEN register
• a class SEN file giving the names of all pupils in the class on the SEN register, and copies of the pupil’s Profiles , moderation criteria and other relevant information.

A4  Admission Arrangements

John Hampden and Tetsworth Federation of Schools strive to be fully inclusive.  It acknowledges the range of issues to be taken account of in the process of development.  All pupils are welcome, including those with SEN, in accordance with the LEA admissions policy.  If a parent wishes to have mainstream provision for a child with a statement/E.H.C.P. the LEA must provide a place unless this is incompatible with the efficient education of other pupils, and there are no reasonable steps that can be taken to prevent the incompatibility.

A5 Specialisms and Special Facilities

At John Hampden and Tetsworth Federation of Schools:

• all teaching staff are experienced teachers who are able to teach pupils with SEN.
• additional training for teachers and TAs is made available when necessary and appropriate, particularly training to meet the specific needs of an individual pupil
• differentiated resources are used to ensure access to the curriculum; resources are easily accessible in each classroom
• all staff are kept well informed about the strategies needed to manage pupils’ needs effectively, and we try to ensure that other pupils understand and respond with sensitivity
• pupil support aims to encourage as much independence as possible within a safe and caring environment
• we have access to the expertise of LEA services and other agencies if it is required

Note: At Tetsworth Primary school it has not been possible to adapt part of the site to enable easy access for wheelchairs, or to provide easy access to toilet and washing areas as it is a Grade 2 listed building

B Identification And Assessment And Provision

B1 Allocation of Resources

All schools in Oxfordshire receive funding for pupils with SEN in three main ways:

• the base budget which covers teaching and curriculum expenses, as well as the cost of the SENCo plus a deprivation figure set by LEA rules at any time
• Pupil Premium money for children on Free School Meals and Children We Care For  as well as Forces children
• specific funds that are allocated to pupils with statements or Education, Health and Care plans

The headteacher, SENCo and the governors of the school regularly monitor the needs of pupils with SEN.  Resources are allocated according to need.  The resources available include ancillary help, teacher time and materials, and these are dependent on the school’s SEN budget.  Any money allocated as a result of statutory assessment is spent according to the terms outlined in the resulting statement of SEN or Education Health and Care plan. The school has a continuing commitment to purchase appropriate resources for pupils with SEN.

John Hampden and Tetsworth Federation of Schools follow LEA guidance, as given in SEN Support in Oxfordshire Schools and Settings, to ensure that all pupils’ needs are appropriately met. Details of how resources are allocated are included on each school’s Provision Map.

B2 Identification, assessment and review

The Code of Practice (2014) outlines a graduated response to pupils’ needs, recognising that there is a continuum of need matched by a continuum of support.  This response is seen as action that is additional to or different from the provision made as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum and strategies.

The Code recognises two broad levels of provision within the continuum: SEN support and Statement/Education, Health and Care Plan.

A register/Provision Map is kept of pupils with SEN.  Where concern is expressed that a pupil may have SEN, the class teacher and support staff take early action to assess and address the difficulties. The LEA’s SEN Support in Oxfordshire Schools and Settings guidance is used to decide whether additional provision should be made.

Categories of Special Educational Need

The SEN Code of Practice recognises four broad areas of need:  Communication and interaction, Cognition and learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs and Sensory and/or physical.  Oxfordshire subdivides these into eight categories of need (as set out in the Moderation Handbook):

Code of Practice needs	Categories
Communication and interaction (C and I)
Cognition and learning (C and L)	Learning Specific learning difficulties e.g. Dyslexia (KS1 onwards)
Social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH)
Sensory and/or physical (S and P)	Hearing Visual Multi sensory impairment (foundation stage only) Physical